Week 6 Waiver Wire: Woody Marks, Rhamondre Stevenson and Marvin Harrison Jr. Lead a Bye-Week Scramble

Week 6 brings the first real bye-week squeeze of the season, with the Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings all off. It also follows a Sunday that broke open three backfields: David Montgomery (groin) in Houston, TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) in New England and Will Shipley (foot) in Philadelphia all left their games early. Add the Marvin Harrison Jr. trade to Houston, and this is one of the busiest waiver weeks of the season.

Here is how Verdexed would prioritize claims, in order, with the reasoning for each.

The priority list

Running backs

Woody Marks, Texans. Marks took over after Montgomery's injury and ran 15 times for 63 yards with four catches for 22 yards in a 26-3 win over Tennessee. Head coach DeMeco Ryans said Montgomery may miss some time. Marks is near the 50 percent rostered mark in many leagues, which is why some waiver columns are making an exception to their usual thresholds for him. He is the top add of the week, and in FAAB leagues he deserves the largest bid. The Texans play Jacksonville in London on Sunday morning.

Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots. Stevenson opened the season as the lead back while Henderson was injured, and he would return to that role if Henderson's ankle keeps him out. New England just scored 45 points against Las Vegas, and the Jets visit Foxborough in Week 6. Stevenson's value is all volume and touchdowns, but that is plenty in a bye week.

Dameon Pierce, Eagles. Pierce took over after Shipley's injury in London. Saquon Barkley (hamstring) is the swing factor: if he returns against Carolina, Pierce is a bench piece. If Barkley sits, Pierce is the lead runner. Bid modestly.

Stash candidates: Corey Kiner (Patriots) behind Stevenson and Carson Steele (Eagles) behind Pierce are deep-league handcuffs. Zach Charbonnet (Seahawks) is worth a stash in leagues with IR spots; his practice window opened Oct. 1, but head coach Mike Macdonald said he will not be activated before Thursday's game in Denver.

Wide receivers

Marvin Harrison Jr., Texans. He was rostered in roughly 79 percent of Yahoo leagues before the trade, so many managers will not find him on waivers. In leagues where he is available, claim him. Reuniting with C.J. Stroud, his former Ohio State teammate, gives him a path to the No. 2 role behind Nico Collins. Expect a slow integration in London and a larger role from Week 7 onward.

Brandin Cooks, 49ers. San Francisco has lost Ricky Pearsall for the season, De'Zhaun Stribling for multiple months and Demarcus Robinson for several weeks, and now Deebo Samuel (hamstring) and Jacob Cowing (ankle) are hurt. Cooks is the veteran option behind Mike Evans. He is a bye-week flex dart in deep leagues for a Monday night game against Washington.

Jordan Watkins, 49ers. The other healthy receiver in San Francisco. He is a deeper flier than Cooks.

Tight end

Brenton Strange, Jaguars. Strange caught seven of eight targets for 68 yards in the win over Philadelphia, and fantasy analysts have pointed to a steady stream of targets in recent weeks. With the Lions' and Vikings' tight ends on bye, Strange is the most useful streaming option at the position. Jacksonville faces Houston in London.

Quarterback

Tua Tagovailoa, Falcons. Only for superflex or two-quarterback leagues. Michael Penix Jr. had an MRI scheduled Monday on his ribs and said he did not think the injury was long term. If Penix is ruled out, Tagovailoa would start at home against Chicago. In standard formats, do not roster him.

How to spend your FAAB

A simple framework for Week 6:

1. Bid heavily on Marks. He is the best combination of role and certainty available. 2. Bid moderately on Stevenson and Harrison. Each has upside but also depends on someone else's health or a new playbook. 3. Bid small on Pierce, Strange and Cooks. These are bye-week fills, not season-long assets. 4. Hold injured starters. Do not drop Montgomery, Henderson, Barkley, Samuel or Penix to make room. Drop bench players at positions where you have depth, such as backup tight ends and fringe receivers.

The Verdexed angle

Waiver priorities should reflect the next two weeks, not just one. Marks plays in London this week with a short practice schedule, and Stevenson has a division game. For the model's view on each matchup, see the NFL predictions page and the Week 6 picks when they publish.

What's next

The key dates this week are Monday's MRIs (Penix, plus Will Campbell for the Patriots), and Wednesday's practice reports for Montgomery, Henderson, Barkley and Samuel. Process waivers with those dates in mind: claims that look aggressive on Tuesday often look smart by Friday. Lock in Houston and Jacksonville players before the 9:30 a.m. Eastern kickoff from London on Sunday.